Suggest a car for me!

[freshcutflowers]

I have a Ford Focus at the moment and DH as a Vauxhall Corsa. The Corsa is newer so we will keep that but want to replace the Focus that is over 10 years old.

We have two DC with no more planned. We sometimes go away for a few nights to see family in the UK but don’t really drive on holiday. This car would be our main family car.

My eye is drawn to SUV/crossover types like Renault Kadjar, Kia Sportage, Vauxhall Crossland, Nissan Qashqai etc. But I’m wondering if I should just stick to a hatchback smaller car?

It’s important to me that it’s a reliable car with good fuel economy. A good fit for an extended rear facing car seat is a bonus (but we will only be using one for another year or two). DH is tall at over 6ft but I’m 5 ft 5.

I would like up to 3 years old and no more than around £16k.

Any suggestions?

And a decent boot!

"It’s important to me that it’s a reliable car "

Then stay well away from French or German tat like the Kojjar and Nissan Qashit, amongst others.

Japanese/Korean all way.

Subaru Forester
Toyota Rav4
Toyota C-HR
Honda HRV
Honda CRV
Kia Sportage
Kia Sorento
Hyundai Santa Fe
Hyundai Tuscon
Mazda CX-5 (last option, this is a bit shit as its smaller than the above list)

Smaller hatchback - Honda Civic all the way. Biggest boot in the trade for the size of car and easily handles 5x adults too.

But as said, stay away from German crap like BMW, Audi, Merc, VW and the contingent of Friday-afternoon built twattery from Renault, Peugeot, Shitroen and the like....

Thanks for your reply! Dare I ask your thoughts on Vauxhall or Skoda?

See I would go against @FartingInTheFence and suggest a VW like a Golf for a decent hatchback.

Currently driving an A class, (love it, boots a tight fit for the double buggy though) after running our Fiesta into the ground.

However I will agree on the Rav4 (brilliant drive) and also to avoid Renault, Citreon and Peugeot.

Is your DP likely to be a passenger in the car for any length of time? If so get him to sit in the passenger seat for test drives...

My DH is 6'3" and solid - many of them lack leg room for him die to the interior styling!

I have a Yeti and love it. It's very fuel efficient.

We have a Skoda Octavia and it's a revelation.

Boot is so big you could fit a donkey in it. Brilliant for holidays. My eldest had a special nightlight bulb that was in his bedside lamp and we could just chuck in the whole lamp! Amazing!

It was reasonably priced so we got a couple of upgrades - flip up trays for the kids at the back of our seats and also a middle armrest/caddy thing in between the back seats.

Dare I ask your thoughts on Vauxhall or Skoda

They'll never match the Japanese/Korean cars for reliability or warranties (up to 7 years in Kia/Hyundai's cases).

suggest a VW like a Golf for a decent hatchback

And a Honda Civic has bigger space all round compared to a Golf and is infinitely more value for money in terms of equipment and reliability.

Look at ANY international reliability rankings - the Golf will never be in the top ten, let alone top five. The Civic though, will be.

Ditto Toyota Auris / Corolla. 👌

Volvo V40 - £16k will buy you an demonstrator. Almost new

They have loads of kit on them.

For under £15k or thereabouts you'll get a skoda octavia under 2 years old

They run like an absolute dream and are one of the most reliable cars out there. As a PP said the boot is enormous-biggest in its class
Can't rate them highly enough

Skoda Octavia. IMHO SUVs are over priced for the aesthetic. If that doesn't matter to you then an Octavia (or even a Fabia) could be an option.

Hyundai 5 year warranty

Kia 7 year warranty

If you what reliable cars that your already buying used, get one that has an extended warranty.

Hyundai Kona

Or

Kia Sportage

Are both good crossovers

I'd go for a Skoda Octavia. We've just got rid of (it was a company car) a Skoda Superb, and 6'3 DH could be comfortable with 6'1 ds comfortably sat behind him. Mahoosive boot, lovely drive.

Currently though, we have my 2006 Honda CRV which is tardis like inside (and cost me the princely sum of £1500 and has been trouble free as the garage told me they go on forever) and dhs 2020 CRV hybrid which is lovely and very economical

70k miles so far trouble free in brand new Dacia Logan (estate). Massive boot and loads of room, five good seats. Aircon sat nav etc

DH didn't fit in the Logan - was gutted!!

I have a Nissan Juke. It's big but not too big - I had a Citroen DS3 before! Lots of boot space and v spacious inside. Good on fuel and looks the part

We replaced our ancient Ford Focus with a nearly new Skoda Octavia and we are very pleased with it.

Skoda is made by VW so it's similar quality but better value. The Octavia has won loads of awards.

We chose the Octavia because it has a vast boot and good cabin space without being huge on the outside. We have an ERF car seat in it (a Cybex Sirona but we are going to swap it for a Britax Max Way Plus which also fits well).

It also has excellent fuel economy. We originally looked at hybrid cars but we didn't find one we liked as much as the Octavia. The Kia Niro boot was much smaller and to get more space we would have had to get something like the Mitsubishi Outlander which is far too big.

I am not really a fan of SUVs anyway as I think they are ridiculous! (Although I do like the Niro which is a smaller SUV/crossover I think.)

I have a Tiguan R line, it's my first ever very and I LOVE it. Previous to this I've had an Audi A1 and a Fiat mpw. The Tiguan is just beautiful, drives like a dream and feels rock solid.

PS Avoid Nissan Qashqai as it has limited interior space so not ideal for ERF seats.
www.whatcar.com/nissan/qashqai/hatchback/review/n7/space-practicality

We have a Skoda Yeti, DS is well passed the car seat stage so not sure how good it would be for that, but he and DH are both 6ft or over and they fit comfortably.

I'd recommend a second hand Ford Grand C-max. Drives just like the Focus you have got and is only a little big longer. It has loads of boot space (all chairs can flatten so its like a van if need be). 7 seats available for when you need to give kids friends a lift.

Best of all, it has sliding doors which has stopped me worrying about the kids opening doors too wide and hitting cars/walls we're parked next to.

I originally bought one as a compromise, but I've falled in love with how practical it is.

VW are pretty average when it comes to reliability. The Germans in general are good at perceived quality (the bits you touch and feel) but get their arses handed to them by the Far Eastern manufactures when it comes to actual quality.

VW are pretty average when it comes to reliability

They arent even good at being average. They are fucking shit.

Like all German brands.

@wornoutdad

Agree entirely

Until recently we had 2 grand c-maxs, barely any trouble whatsoever, I paid £16,500 for mine with 3,000 miles 6 months old from a ford dealer. Sold it with 127,000 miles on it and bought a Tesla :)

The cmax has a lovely high seating position, absolutely tonnes of room as a 5 seater and I (6ft) have sat in the 3rd row for 30minute journeys reasonably ok. It handles well, fits into standard parking spaces and the sliding doors are a revelation. As a 5 seater it has a humungous boot, with the scond row folded its big enough for a double mattress, or almost anything from ikea.

We just an MG ezs all electric. It's over the budget you mentioned at £22k but NO fuel at all, we got a pod charge for the house so use that at cheap rate electricity at night. And 7 years warranty. And it's amazing to drive, and roomy. Totally recommend!